


You bet.

by allonsytastic



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Don't Try This At Home, F/M, Student AU, Ten turned out a little bit more insane than anticipated, it got away from me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 15:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6334585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsytastic/pseuds/allonsytastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>And so it came to pass that one early saturday morning, Rose and a mop of unruly chestnut hair went to get coffee in their pajamas and did not care one bit.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	You bet.

**Author's Note:**

> again, none of the characters are mine. and just to make extra sure: don't try Ten's idea at home. that's something that coffee isn't worth doing for ;)  
> this work is unbeta'd, so if you find any spelling or punctuation errors - feel free to keep them ;)

**You bet.**

A story about Rose, an unruly mob of hair and the unattainability of coffee.

* * *

"New" had become the operative term in Rose Tyler's life. She'd moved to a new town in a new country, to take a new course of studies at a new university. Relocating across the ocean, she'd granted herself two weeks before the start of term to get settled - which proved to be an insufficient span of time considering the amount of paperwork that had awaited her there. Nevertheless, she'd made herself at home in a dormitory that was across town from campus and quickly befriended most of the other inhabitants.

Two weeks had passed in a flash and Rose finally found herself on campus for the first lecture with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. She'd taken a seat in the back for the introductory speech and was listening intently, when about five minutes in, a lanky man hurried into the room through the back door and breathlessly fell down into the chair right in front of her. He was obviously trying to quietly retrieve a pen and some paper from his bag but failing miserably as loud metallic clanging suddenly erupted from his direction.

_What on earth was he carrying around in that bag?_

Trying, but failing to suppress a grin, Rose considered the newcomer. While it was not unheard of for students to attend lectures in a suit and tie, it was rather unusual in her field of studies and a quick glance through the room confirmed that he was the only one in such formal attire. Continuing her evaluation, she turned her gaze upwards and made a simple observation

_Some great hair._

_Some really great hair._

The rest of the lecture passed without further interruptions and when it ended, the unruly mop of hair stormed out as hastily as he'd entered without leaving Rose a chance to take a glance at his face.

* * *

She hadn't seen the stranger with the untamed hair on campus for the rest of the day. Maybe he'd just donned a cap and gone undercover, though she supposed he would still stand out; suit and all. Consequently, it was all the more surprising when she saw a messy head of hair spurt towards the closing doors of the subway carriage she'd crammed into and squeeze through the narrow slit just before they took closed. The train was packed with students, Rose being barely able to peek over the shoulder of the guy next to her, and so she still hadn't been able to take a good look at the stranger's face.

She'd lost sight of him by the time her stop came up and she had to force her way out of the carriage. As she was walking home, Rose thought she might have seen a chestnut-haired guy on a bike down the street, but dismissed the thought. She pondered her sudden fascination with this specific specimen and resolved that there was no point obsessing over a guy that she hadn't even actually met yet.

* * *

A few days later, Rose walked into the dorm's shared kitchen, still in her jim jams and desperately hoping that someone had already started the coffee machine and made the first pot of glorious caffeinated water for the day. Wiping the sleep out of her eyes, she looked around the kitchen and saw a pair of pajama-clad legs sticking out from under the kitchen sink counter, a constant murmur of curses emerging from below.

_"Hello? D'you need any help with that?"_

A bang, presumably the result of an accidental collision between the head belonging to the pajamas and the sink, interrupted the muttering.

_"Ow."_

The head emerged and with it an all-too familiar tangle of chestnut hair. Rose was momentarily perplexed. _Well, at least that solved the puzzle of the elusive neighbor she'd never met._ She'd joked with her friends that he was almost like a mythical creature, like the Yeti who only ever left behind weird footprints in the snow. Only instead of footprints all your ever saw of the man from 12B was the odd bit of tech lying around. So far she'd found half a digital wristwatch, a disassembled microwave with parts of a hairdryer attached to it and a strange construct made of spoons left around the dorm.

_"Oh, did I startle you? Sorry, didn't mean to. Did you hit your head?"_

The mystery neighbor still hadn't said anything and was now scrutinizing her with narrow eyes while rubbing at his head with a hand that still held the screwdriver he'd been using on the sink.

_"I know you. Where do I know you from?"_

Suddenly, his eyes lit up and a near-manic, yet utterly charming grin spread across his face.

_"Riiiiight. I've seen you around campus!"_

_"Well..."_ Rose retorted, grinning as well _"This **is** a university dormitory, so that might not be as much of a coincidence."_

_"Still, nice to meet you!"_

He stretched out his hand in her direction, still sitting on the kitchen floor. Rose grabbed it, both to introduce herself and simultaneously to help him onto his feet.

_"Hi! You don't happen to be making coffee in here, do you?"_

_"Funny you should ask, because, you see..."_ he pointed to the counter he'd been lying under _"...I was just trying to adjust the temperature levels for the tap; first tap with boiling running water! Think about it, boiling water ready to hand at all times, just from the kitchen sink. You'd never have to wait for tea again! Or coffee, for that matter!"_ He was gesturing wildly now. _"Just need to add another pipe here and install an extra tap next to the one for cold water"_

_"Don't you think that might be.. I don't know... a tad dangerous?"_   While she didn't want to imply it, she had to admit that between his first appearance at the university and his unfortunate encounter with the sink just now, her new acquaintance had made a rather clumsy impression. _"Somebody might... possibly... hurt themselves"_

_"Well..."_ other than Rose, he drew the word out. He assumed a thoughtful stance, one hand stroking an imaginary beard, the other continuously ruffling the hair at the back of his neck. _"I mean, I would label it. Maybe a little warning sign right here? Might put some flashing lights on to draw attention. Or maybe, like, a motion sensor that triggers a warning announcement?"_ His voice trailed off as he was seemingly deep in thought now, talking more to himself than Rose.

_"How'd you get that idea anyway?"_ she asked, trying to rekindle the conversation.

_"Actually, I was going to make coffee. Might have gone a little overboard with that idea. May have been sidetracked somewhere along the way."_

_"Along the way between getting water from the sink and pouring it in the coffee machine?"_

_"Something like that."_

He was grinning again, that wide and near-manic and fantastic grin, and Rose inwardly patted herself on the shoulder. _"D'you know what? I think I know an easier solution to that caffeine deficit of ours."_

_"Do you now?"_ There was a twinkle in his eyes.

_"You bet."_

And so it came to pass that one early saturday morning, Rose and a mop of unruly chestnut hair went to get coffee in their pajamas and did not care one bit.

 

 


End file.
